Gifts: Mind
William's Perspective
Markus made his way over to the table where my father was, along with Dimmal and Aurum. He grabbed hold of his grey jacket, sliding his arms into its sleeves. I gazed at his red crown embedded in his jacket.
Moving over to the table, my attention turned to Aurum. Her thoughts from earlier messed me up. She whimpered at me, feeling guilty for her actions. I patted her head, a smile forming on my lips. "It's alright," I spoke softly, feeling her head press into my palm. The warmth of her scales reminded me of a relaxing fire on a cold, harsh winter's night. We will have to get used to being close like this, even in combat.
"First time you felt her during combat," Dimmal's voice came in sharp, yet pleasant.
Caressing Aurum's head, I turned to Dimmal. "Yes," I admitted, feeling a surge of warmth towards Aurum. This was the first time I had experienced her emotions during combat. It was a strange but not unwelcome experience. However, when her thoughts appeared, it altered my focus. Looking down at her, I couldn't help but smile as she nuzzled into my arm. "I'm just not used to her thoughts in my head."
Dimmal patted my shoulder. His touch was surprisingly gentle. "Most riders have that problem. Even when I was a Knight, I still wasn’t used to having my dragon’s thoughts in my head."
My attention went straight to Dimmal, eyes widened in shock. "Really?"
"Don't be too surprised," Dimmal answered with a smile. "We all start from somewhere."
Markus walked over, gesturing to my father to follow him. "He's not wrong. Just as you will learn a new fighting style. Dimmal, starting tomorrow you teach him your fighting style."
Dimmal nodded, his smile lowering softly, giving him a sharp gaze. I followed his gaze, watching Markus walk past us with my father behind. I spoke out. "Wait, really."
Chasing after Markus, both he and my father walked in unison. The difference was that my father used his bowstaff to help him walk. Markus walked as if he weren't afraid of anything. Like he would start a fight without a care in the world.
I turned back towards Aurum and Dimmal, but he gestured to me to go on without him. Aurum stayed back with him. Her thoughts came in; apparently, she doesn't like having so many people around.
My father voiced up. "You've been learning the Nightguard style long enough," my father answered. "Time for you to learn other fighting styles while adjusting to your body."
"About that," I responded.
"You're going to ask why you are physically stronger than the average person despite having a magically enhanced body, yet can't use your full physical ability," Markus exclaimed before I could ask my own question.
As I tried to speak up, the ranting of the crowd boomed over my ears while I tagged along. Pushing past a few of the adventurers, Markus shoved to the side. I took note of the Drakonic, Argon, who was still naked. He was sitting down with a few others; one looked like a rat that stood on two legs, another was a dark elf, an orc, and even a bird man. And the last was a Squirrel?
As I walked past the table, I couldn't help but eavesdrop. They were gambling, and the squirrel seemed to be winning. The tension in the air was palpable, and the squirrel's victory seemed to hang in the balance.
"My kind has spent eons here in Kalos, meeting all sorts of people, even tangled with goblins of The Under City of Zion. But not even they were as disrespectful as you, Argon." The squirrel hissed out.
The rat man's voice was very high-pitched, but raspy. "I understand, Ren, why you are angry, but why take it out on us? We are about to lose our pride." The rat man asked with great restlessness, keeping his cards in his wrinkling, furry hands.
"Of all the words my kind were called, the word we never were called face to face was Rodent," the squirrel answered, its squeaky voice harsh and somewhat hurt.
The orc, a massive fellow almost as big as Argon, responded with a loud, deep groan. "Heilos graces Ren, just let it go already. It’s been a whole year."
"Argon, just apologies. He's taking all we have!" The dark elf pitched in, voiced with despair.
"I will not and shall not take back a general fact that Ren is forever in doubt… A Rodent." Argon answered, glaring at the squirrel, Ren.
Argon's statement immediately made me smile, and I chuckled to myself.
"Well, boys…" Ren spoke up, stopping mid-sentence. "Cough it all up!" Ren then slammed their cards down, showing a complete set of matching numbers that I couldn't understand, but knew immediately when everyone at the table groaned in both frustration and defeat.
"I should turn you into soup, Rodent," Argon growled out.
"Call me that again!" Ren doubled down.
Argon leaned in. "Rodent," He gave a smile, only for Ren to instantly pounce on him, which took me by surprise when Argon flew out of his chair and onto the floor. Argon flailed about on the floor as Ren's tiny body scuttered and bit at his massive body.
I couldn't hold back my smile, chuckling loudly to almost massive laughter. Markus came up behind me and tapped my arm, taking my attention away. "Will, pay attention," he said, giving a disapproving smirk. "Did you even hear what I said?"
I shook my head, no longer smiling. "No, sorry." I answered, lowering my head slightly with guilt. "I was watching.."
Markus interrupted me. "Watching Argon get his ass whooped by a squirrel."
I almost swallowed down a smirk. Looking back, I watched Argon and Ren tussle across the floor. I can already see Steoff coming in, yelling at them. I shook my head and looked back at Markus, standing straight up. "Can you say again what you were talking about?"
Markus threw his arms over my shoulder, leading me away. Guiding me over to a section of the Guild that I overlooked before. It was a billboard with pictures of monsters and bandits across the land.
We got closer, but Markus wasn't focused on the billboard. "Your body doesn't operate the way you want it to is due to the body itself limiting its own function."
"What?" I asked, raising my brow.
Markus rolled his eyes with a loud sigh, patting my shoulders. His other hand was rummaging through his jacket. "You see, Willy, the body itself is extremely powerful, along with the mind and soul. However, it limits what it can do, so you can't harm yourself. That's where this comes in." His explanation follows up with him pulling a ring out of his jacket's pocket. "This is a Status Ring. When someone gets access to Status Magic, they get access to all of their abilities without restriction."
I'm trying to make sense of what he's saying. So my body is restricting how much strength I can use. But if I can use more strength without any issues, why is my body restricting it? Wouldn't my body just adjust to what it can do? All I can do is look at him with a confused and lost expression on my face.
"Based on how your face is looking at me, you don't understand," Markus spoke. He proceeded to drag me to a nearby table and sat me down. He extended his arm out to me. "Watch."
Not understanding what he's talking about, he proceeds to grab one of his fingers. I watched closely when he jerked his hand back, snapping his fingers in his hand. I let out a loud, disgusted groan, gawking at his broken fingers.
"What the hell are you doing?" I uttered.
Markus gestured with his non-broken hand for me to settle down with the biggest smile on his face. "Don't worry. I'll heal. Anyway, most people wouldn't be able to do this under normal circumstances unless they have proper motivation or specific mindsets. The body and mind simply won't let you intentionally hurt yourself, so it limits what you can do. Status magic grants you access to all of your strengths regardless. But it should be only used as a last resort."
"Ok I get it. My body won't let me use my strength out of fear of harming myself." I replied, relaxing a bit more. Taking the ring into my hand, I shivered at the sound of bone snapping and flesh remolding back together. It reminded me of the Blight. I can almost see the disturbing body distortion back in Hearthglen. "But…."
Markus interrupted me. "Your body though, doesn't know its own limits as of right now. So, training you to use your body correctly. So that you can output more strength without having to worry about your own body's restriction on your magic."
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I nodded. Gaining a good understanding of the problem. My body doesn't truly understand how much strength I can use without harming myself, so it restricts a lot of what I can do, magic included. Since my magic is synced to my body, it's limiting a lot of what I can do.
This makes sense. I felt a wave of nostalgia and excitement. If I can remove or readjust my body's limit of restriction, I can use more strength. I can help more people. I would be able to stand up to those prophecy breakers and face the Blight. I could protect my father and Aurum. And prevent more disasters like Hearthglen.
"So if I put this ring on, I'll have access to all my strength with my 'Limiter' off?" I asked, holding the ring up at Markus. A part of me wants to put it on. It would've been easy too. Just to slip it onto a finger. All my might and power, right here in a simple ring? It was too good to be true, really.
"Yes, but I don't recommend it," Markus answered, snapping me out of my daze. "The issue with those rings is, once your 'Limiter' is removed, if you get tired, you are in fact hitting your limit and will no longer be able to function. There is no second wind. Once your stamina hits [0], you are at rock bottom, unable to move. You will be left vulnerable and defenseless. Which means you can be killed. You should never have to use the ring itself, unless it is for an emergency." Markus gestures with his hand, cutting across his neck. A clear indication of the neck being cut.
"So if I see my health reach [1]
"You will be on the verge of death for real. Once it hits [0]
My eyes widened as Markus materialized a gauntlet-looking armor piece. He probably had it in a storage device.
I put my new ring into my pants pocket, observing the armor piece. The gauntlet was silver in design with curving plates lining up and down to the forearm to the knuckles. The knuckles of the gauntlet were covered in a plate, while a swirling insignia embedded in the center of the gauntlet. There was nothing for the fingers besides a small, plated piece that would cover only half of the finger before it would reach the joint. It still would be great for punching. It was very flexible-looking; the plating made it easier to turn at the wrist and fingers, unlike many armor gauntlets.
"What Is that?" I asked, marveling at the gauntlet.
"This is a Vambra," Markus answered.
I took a look at the so-called Vambra. It didn't look like one. Especially the one Liora, the prophecy breaker, had. That one had a bladed tip at the end of hers.
"No that ain't," I told Markus.
Markus scolded me with this smug ass looking smile. "How many Vambra's have you seen?"
Markus had a point. I have only ever seen one Vambra in my life. "Ok, fine," I responded. However, I didn't feel annoyed, as I would have with my father. "What is it exactly?"
Markus smirked, grabbing my arm and pushing the Vambra onto me. It was surprisingly soft and smooth to touch. "This Vambra was made by Master Ryu himself. Made of Silverite for anti magic properties, but dosed and forged alongside Galenite and Cassite. Galenite is meant to help out with stabilizing mana and with Cassite, helps provide magic protection and improve magic growth."
Nodding along, I flexed my hand, testing the feeling. It was amazing. I couldn't even tell the difference between my original hand and the Vambra. It fitted perfectly without any irritation. Soon, I felt a sudden warmth from my body moving directly into the Vambra.
"Vambra's are identical to wands and staffs, but designed for non magic users. Drawing magic from the surroundings or from the individuals and into the selective spells that are already built in the Vambra. Unlike wands and staff that have access to unlimited spells, Vambra’s only have select amounts. Your vambra has two." Markus explained.
So it's drawing upon my mana. "What spells does it have?" I asked, flexing my fingers and rotating my arm. I was amazed at how natural it felt.
"The two spells are simple. The first spell is a basic shield spell, all you have to focus on is a mental image of a shield. Then use the Vambra as a shield and it should do the rest," Markus explained.
Understanding a bit, I flipped my arm over, treating it as if I were holding a shield. Closing my hand into a fist, I focus on the idea that the Vambra was a shield. My mana flowed into the Vambra as a bright golden light lit up in the air, materializing a shield-like barrier in front of me.
The shield was immediate and sudden, startling me. I took a few steps back, my focus gone. The tension in my hand from making a fist relaxed alongside the barrier fading. Soon I felt the magic flowing back into the vambra. Controlling my breathing, I took note of how it felt. It was as if the Vambra itself was like a part of me. One with my mana.
Markus placed a hand on my vambra, caressing it. I can feel it pressing into my skin from his touch. "You can feel your mana inside it, right? How does it shape your mana?"
I couldn't really believe it. It was like…. Like…
Like having a third you never knew you had.
"Now you are connected to the dragon force, so any type of magic you use will be amplified and or operate differently for normal elemental magic." Markus explained. "So I don’t know how it will affect your vambra. Understand?"
"Ya. Magic isn't normal and will affect differently." I said with both confidence and yet not truly understanding. I don't really use magic except when I was in the Blight Nest, where I cast lightning. "So the last spell?"
"Yes, the last spell is a offensive spell. It takes the form of a simple javelin, created by your mana." Markus answered. "Simply hold out your hand and imagine forming a spear of sorts."
"Why a spear? And why not a javelin instead?" I asked, generally curious. Last time I used magic, I summoned lightning from my hand.
Markus then abruptly slapped my hand. "Don't question me!" I glared at him, reeling my hand back from the sudden hit. Markus, though, grabbed it and forced it back out. I sneered at the sudden discomfort. "It takes the form of a javelin to help you get used to the feeling of mana shaping. Go ahead and try."
Rolling my eyes at him, I tried to focus. Focusing on channeling my mana into the vambra. I felt the warmth of my mana flowing into the vambra. Opening my hand, I proceed to reshape my mana into a spear. I felt a sudden jolt in my palm. Mana warp in my hands. But then nothing. The feeling vanishes.
I tried to focus once more. However, it yielded the same results.
"What’s up," Markus asked with a smug look.
I shook my head, my brows furrowing with annoyance. "It’s not working."
Markus laughed so hard, he slapped his own knee. He very ungracefully recovered himself. Giving me this grin, teeth showing and all, with a tilted head. "Here, I thought you would figure out this spell just as the shield one. I guess we have to play it the hard way."
Raising a brow at him, I asked him. "What do you mean the hard way?"
Markus moved me over to a wooden table and explained. "Vambra, like wands and staffs, connect to the person's mana and work more towards arcane magic than elemental. A lot of Arcane magic derives from one's intent. Or that's what I was told."
I nodded slowly. "I guess. So what should I do?"
Markus slapped my back, giving me this bright, cheerful smile that I found disturbing. "And here I thought you were some punk ass kid that was gun-ho for power and such. Who knew you were such a softie?"
"Shut up! That's not what I asked about!" I shouted at Markus, my nostrils flaring. I felt my face heat up from embarrassment. Shoving him off me, giving him one hell of a glare I can provide.
Markus laughed once more. "Seriously. Arcane magic comes from one's mind. Some spells, like Shield and Javelin, require a clear personal intent. The shield is for protection, and the javelin is for striking a target you can't reach. And here you are wanting power to protect."
I snarled at him, making a fist in my hand.
I wanted to punch him. Damn, I want to punch him so bad.
Markus responded with a loud chuckle and stood up. I relaxed a bit more as he took a few steps away, then faced me with the biggest shit eating grin I ever saw him give me. "Try again, but this time, think about hitting me. The spell most likely isn't working because you don't have a target. The spell Javelin is an attack spell where you literally throw a javelin at a target. You didn't have a target. So use me as one."
Wait. Nevermind. Markus can break his own bones at will; I shouldn't be surprised.
Raising my hand at Markus, focus once again. But this time, I focused on not only forming a spear to throw, but to throw it at Markus himself. I started to feel the warmth of my mana responding.
My mana radiated inside the vambra, giving my palm a familiar jolt. Soon, I felt it move out of my palm once more, golden lights flickering from my hands. The jolting sensation continued in my hand as I saw the mana shape into an elongated, thin shape. Like a rod. A rod as long as my arm.
The javelin made a crackling sound. Sparks jumped from the javelin and into the air, jittering similar to lightning. It looked exactly like a lightning bolt.
I could feel the javelin resisting. No.
My mana was resisting to stay in a solid shape. Instead it was taking the shape of a lightning bolt.
Gulping loudly, I grabbed it. Bringing it to my face, I looked at it. Its golden light spread across my face. Its crackling sound buzzed into my ears, the sizzling sensation jittering along my hand.
A wave of thrill and excitement coursed through me. Another wave of excitement rushed over me. A sudden warmth just swam through my skin, popping a bigger grin on my face.
"You're using my magic," Aurum's voice echoed into my head. Her voice was filled with delight and excitement. It was clear and direct. Even when she's outside the Guild.
This took me by surprised. I questioned her meaning. "Your magic?" I asked her.
"That's not what is supposed to happen," Markus exclaimed, interrupting my thoughts. Looking at him, he just gives me a shrug. "Oh well. Give it a whirl."
I nodded at him. Aurum didn't answer, but I can tell she heard me. Pushing her words back, I decided I can worry later. I can ask Dimmal later about what she meant, but I needed to focus on the task at hand. Reeling the bolt back, I threw it at Markus.
The crackling sound echoed across the room, coming into contact with Markus. His face went from a grin to a seriousness as the bolt closed in. Markus extended his hand out to catch the bolt, but was sent flying back with a loud, thunderous boom.
Panic set in as he slammed into Argon. "Markus!" I shouted, running over to him. My heart slammed in my chest. "Markus! Markus, you ok?"
The table he landed on was utterly destroyed. Many bystanders surrounded the table to check on Markus. What's worse is that Argon was there. He stood up, naked body and all, blocking my view of Markus as he looked down at the splintered table. Everyone began to mumble to one another.
Pushing my way through, I heard Argon let out a loud snarl for all to hear. His presence made me nervous, but I refused to show. "Markus, life is never dull with you around. But that does mean you can't just go barging into one's card game."
I sighed in relief when Argon extended his arm to Markus. A charred black hand reached up and grabbed the massive maroon hand. Guilt started to rise when I noticed Markus' arm was still charred up.
Markus gave Argon a painful sneer, unlike his usual nonchalant and careless persona. "It's not my fault that I got flung across the room." Markus stood tall, half of his body charred black, but he was still moving as if nothing had happened. Then he turned to me. "Did you seriously ask if I was ok?"
I was more confused than ever. The way he said it was severe. I only saw him being serious once, which was when we first met. Ever since then, he seems almost like he didn't care and goofed around.
Argon tapped Markus's shoulder. "You aren’t healing."
Everyone heard Argon's words, looking at Markus's arm. It was still charred, yet very functional. Parts of his hand's skin were torn and burnt off, revealing bone and muscle. Markus looked at his arm and brought it to his face, examining it, but looked confused.
After a solid few seconds of silence, it finally healed. "That's odd." Markus uttered.
I reached out towards Markus, concerned that I might have hurt him. But soon, my father's voice echoed across the room. "William. Can you not destroy this place, we got a quest to go to."
"Perfect timing," Markus shouted, throwing his arm around me and pulling me. "Lets go kill some goblins."
"What?"
